US special envoy welcomes Iraqi elections as ‘crucial step,’ reiterates call to end ‘armed militias’

BAGHDAD — U.S. Special Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya on Thursday congratulated the Iraqi people on what he called the successful completion of parliamentary elections, describing the vote as “a crucial step toward strengthening democracy and stability in the country.”

The Independent High Electoral Commission on Wednesday released preliminary results from the 2025 parliamentary elections. According to the results, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s Reconstruction and Development Coalition, Ex-Speaker Mohammed Al-Halbousi’s Taqadum party, Masoud Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party and Ex-PM Nouri Al-Maliki’s State of Law emerged as the top winners.

In his first statement following the release of preliminary results, Savaya said, “The Iraqi people have once again shown their commitment to freedom, the rule of law, and strong national institutions.”

Iraq held its parliamentary elections on Nov. 11. The electoral commission said 99.98% of general polling stations have reported results, with nationwide turnout reaching 56.11%. A total of 12,009,453 Iraqis voted out of 21,404,291 registered voters, including ballots from the general, special, and displaced-persons votes.

Savaya affirmed the United States’ support for Iraq, stating, “The United States remains firmly committed to supporting Iraq’s sovereignty, reform efforts, and endeavors to end external interference and armed militias.”

He added that Washington looks forward to working with Iraq’s next government “to deepen our strategic partnership in security, energy, and development, and to help build a stable and prosperous future for all Iraqis.”

In a previous statement, Savaya warned that Iraq’s sovereignty and progress “will remain at risk” unless all security forces operate under government command, saying that external interference and armed groups outside state control continue to threaten stability.

The envoy’s comments appeared to reference Iran-backed armed groups, saying the U.S. government maintains “there is no place for armed groups operating outside the authority of the state.” He added that Iraq’s stability and prosperity depend on “having unified security forces under the command of a single government and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, united under one flag that represents all Iraqis.”